Improvement in horse hay-forks



UNITED ATENT OFFICE.

BYRON B. ROCKWELL, OF WATERFORD MILLS, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-FORKS.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144,143, dated October 28, 1873; application filed September 15, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BYRON B. ROCKWELL, of Waterford Mills, in the county of Elkhart and in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay- Fork; and do hereby declare that the fol lowing is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a hay-fork, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing which represents a perspective view of my hay-fork.

A A represent the two arms or shanks of my hay-fork, pivoted together at a, and their upper ends bent outward at right angles. The lower ends of the arms A A below the pivot to are curved outward, and each arm so curved forms three prongs or tines, B B. O and 0 represent two straight bars, pivoted one to each arm or shank immediately below the bends b b, and said bars are pivoted together by a bolt or rivet, e, which also pivots a bail, D, for attaching the hoisting-rope. The bolt or rivet 6 passes through the end of the bar 0, while the bar O projects beyond the bolt, and has on its end a lug, j, which projects above and rests 011 the upper edge of the bar 0 when the fork is closed, and the bars 0 O on a line with each other. To the bar O is pivoted a latch, G, which, when the fork is closed, can be turned over the lug f, and thus lock the fork in position. A trip-rope, h, passes from the outer end of this latch through an eye, z, upon the eX- treme end of that shank A to which the bar 0 is pivoted, so that when the load has been hoisted to the place .where it is desired to unload the same, by pulling on the trip-rope h the latch G is released from the lug f, and the fork at once opened.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the arms A A and tines B B of a hay-fork, of the locking-bars O O and the latch G, the bar O being provided with the projection f, and the two bars pivoted together at c, and having the hoistingrope connected to them at said pivot, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of August, 1873.

' BYRON B. ROOKWVELL.

Vitnesses DAVID EVANS, ELBRIDGE G. CHAMBERLAIN. 

